This Tabouli Salad Recipe is fresh and scrumptious. It's made with lots of herbs, bulgur, and a light lemon dressing for a truly delicious side dish.
This Tabouli Salad recipe is light and refreshing. It has so much flavor thanks to the fresh parsley, scallions, and mint that are chopped into it. And the light oil-based lemon dressing adds bright citrus notes to make this salad a true delight. It's simple and quick, and also super healthy.
Bulgur is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. And with just vegetables and herbs added in, this is a healthy dish to serve to your family or enjoy on your own. You can serve it with pita bread, hummus, soups, or veggies for a truly tasty meal. It also stores well so you can make it ahead of time and serve it throughout the week. Let's take a look at the ingredients you'll need to make this delicious Tabouli Salad Recipe.
Video Tutorial
What you'll need for Tabouli
- Bulgur. Bulgur is parboiled cracked wheat. I often see people confuse it with couscous, but they’re not the same (couscous is tiny pasta). Authentic tabouli is made with fine grain bulgur (#1) and it’s soaked rather than cooked. But I find that medium grain bulgur gives better texture, so that's what I recommend to use. Whichever grain of bulgur you choose to cook (or soak), it's best to follow the package instructions.
- Herbs. Parsley, scallions, and mint.
- Tomatoes. Regular or cherry tomatoes can be used.
- Dressing. Olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
How to make Tabouli Salad
1. Cook the bulgur according to the package instructions. (Fine bulgur needs to be steeped and coarse needs to be cooked for 10 minutes). Allow the bulgur to cool and set aside.
2. To a medium bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk well.
3. To the same bowl add the cooled bulgur, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and mint. Mix everything well and serve.
Tips for the best Tabouli Salad
- Allow the bulgur to cool. This salad is best served chilled, so allow the bulgur time to cool down before adding it to the tomatoes and other ingredients.
- Pre-mix the dressing. The dressing will emulsify and blend its flavors better if you mix the dressing ingredients together beforehand rather than adding them to the salad and mixing there.
- Cut the tomatoes small. You don't want your tomatoes taking over the dish, so make sure to chop them on the small side for this Tabouli Salad.
- Fine chop the herbs. Herbs can have a very strong taste when you get a mouthful of them, so make sure they are chopped fine to keep this delicate salad in balance.
Add-ins and Substitutes
- Add other vegetables. You can also make this with additional vegetables, such as cucumbers, kalamata olives, bell pepper, or radishes.
- Make it gluten-free. If you want to take the gluten out of this recipe, substitute the bulgur with some cooked quinoa or millet.
- Substitute another dressing. You can use any dressing you like with this salad, but it usually goes best with an oil-based one that is light.
- Add chickpeas. These add texture, flavor, and delicious protein to your Tabouli Salad to make it even more filling.
How to Store
You can store any leftovers of this Tabouli Salad in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with it
- Bread and Hummus. Serve this salad with some pita bread and hummus, such as these Mediterranean Hummus Bowls or Easy Hummus Wraps.
- Soup. Enjoy this Tabouli Salad with a bowl of Spinach Orzo Soup, Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup, Easy Lemon Lentil Soup, or Creamy Vegetable Soup.
- Salads. Pair this with other salads, like this Mexican Quinoa Salad, Quick and Tasty Bulgur Salad, or Quinoa Veggie Salad.
- Potatoes. Serve these with some Vegan Spinach Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Vegan Scalloped Potatoes, Pan-Fried Potato Cake or Paprika Baked Potatoes.
This Mediterranean Tabouli Salad recipe is healthy and delicious. It's the perfect salad to enjoy on a warm day when you want something light and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or serve it with other salads, soups, hummus, or veggies. It has a lot of versatility, too, so you can make it to fit your preferences.
I hope you and your family enjoy this Tabouli Salad as much as mine does. You'll find yourself returning to these fresh and scrumptious flavors again and again. Enjoy!
More tasty vegan salad recipes:
Tabouli Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked bulgur
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. lemon juice
- ½ tsp. sea salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp. pepper or to taste
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- ½ cup finely chopped scallions
- ¼ cup finely chopped mint
Instructions
- Cook the bulgur according to the package instructions. (Fine bulgur needs to be steeped and coarse needs to be cooked for 10 minutes). Allow the bulgur to cool and set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk well.
- To the same bowl add the cooled bulgur, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and mint. Mix everything well and serve.
Notes
Tips for the best Tabouli Salad
- Allow the bulgur to cool. This salad is best served chilled, so allow the bulgur time to cool down before adding it to the tomatoes and other ingredients.
- Pre-mix the dressing. The dressing will emulsify and blend its flavors better if you mix the dressing ingredients together beforehand rather than adding them to the salad and mixing there.
- Cut the tomatoes small. You don't want your tomatoes taking over the dish, so make sure to chop them on the small side for this Tabouli Salad.
- Fine chop the herbs. Herbs can have a very strong taste when you get a mouthful of them, so make sure they are chopped fine to keep this delicate salad in balance.
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